Zero
by Vampshaddix
Summary: Welcome to the Ecliptic Express


_July 22, 1998:_

_Another pair of bodies were found near the lake of Raccoon Forest. These bodies, again, display the typical bite and scratch marks that past victims bore. No doubt another attack from the "Cannibal Hunters", a name that is associated with what is believed to be a group that has sprung forth in the past week. There has also been more speculation as to how many members are actually a part of the group, for citizens passing near the road on their way to Raccoons Lake Victory have claimed to have spotted a single person with tattered clothes shambling along the woods. Other times there have been a group of four, up to six traveling together. Just a few hours ago, another report stating a sighting of at least twelve people roaming the woods came in. Whether they are a part of the mysteriously, violent group is yet to be known._

Christopher Banks tossed the newspaper aside, disgust clear on his face. The fact that Umbrella had somehow "accidentally" leaked some of his research out simply brought an expression rage to his face. When he had become one of the top researchers at the corporation, he never expected an accident like this to happen. To have the very thing his team was working on and keeping a secret from the world leak out and begin to cause problems. He looked around the bar and saloon car of the two floor train the corporation had built.

A very elegant room, fixed with a couple of crystal chandeliers that accompanied the mahogany walls. The potted plants were taken care of on a daily basis, which of course reflected how the corporation would accept nothing less than near perfection. He pulled back one of the fine, silk curtains and stared out into the star-lit sky that caressed the full, pale moon. The trees and mountains seemed to rush pass as the train headed towards its destination: The Umbrella Research Center that was located in the Arklay Mountains. The research center was being re-opened after twenty years of closure, something that was unfortunate, but it was in the past now. All that mattered was that one of Umbrellas top research facilities was being awakened once more.

Banks looked down at the coffee mug in his hand and swirled the black substance around before knocking back the remaining liquid. He began to fix his black tie around the collar of his simple blue dress shirt. What else could possibly go wrong in the coming days?

* * *

Downstairs, in the elegant dining room, a Caucasian couple carried a conversation that was briefly over-heard by one of the waiters that was returning from the luxurious passenger car.

"I heard it was to be a full moon tonight", the wife, dressed in light-peach dress, told her husband.

Her spouse gave her a nod and sipped some of his chamomile tea. He fixed his beige overcoat, and straightened his crimson tie. He liked to keep his appearance as neat as his work, which he always triple checked.

"I've always loved the moon, it is most beautiful when full", he said, smiling at his lovely wife.

She let out a dreamy sigh, "Yes, such a beautiful specimen she is, don't you think?"

He sipped his tea once more and gave his wife another nod accompanied by a smile. The lights dimmed as the candles on the tables were lit electronically, bathing the entire room with a warm glow.

On the other side of the door, in the passenger car, were seated very few. Most of the people on the train had already retired to the sleeping car, where many rooms were located with exquisite beds that wore sheets made from Egyptian cotton. A female attendant passed by a couple of passengers that were discussing the latest Baseball game, and stopped in front of a man who was dressed in business attire.

"Is there anything I can get you, sir?", she asked politely. The man gave her a smile, and replied that he was just fine, to which she took as her signal to move on to the other passengers that were still awake.

As the attendant left, the man straightened his glasses and continued reading the file in his hand. The fact that the T-virus was showing a great amount of promise intrigued him greatly. Maybe it could become a lucrative product if he could convince the board of directors to move on with their ideas for it.

The train was soon about to pass another mountain, just one of many that made the Arklay Mountains. The man straightened his glasses once more when he heard the most peculiar sound. A sudden squelching noise on the window beside him caused him to abruptly look up and slowly turn towards the window. At first he could see nothing, but when he attempted to squint something hit the window. The man jumped back as what appeared to be a small sack of brown flesh that was coated in mucus hit the glass and stuck onto it.

He looked closer and was surprised as what he thought was nothing more than flesh turned out to be what appeared to be an over-grown leech. It began to slide down as the wind whipped past the moving train, but it never flew off. Instead, a small slit began to open and an array of teeth were shown to protrude from the creatures mouth. A bolt of fear shot down the mans spine; what in the world was this damned thing?

As much as he was beginning to become afraid of it, he could not turn away from the creature. At least, not until more and more of them began to pelt the window like hail. Unlike hail though, the leeches did not bounce off, instead they began to open their mouths and attempted to bite through the glass, all the while emitting a high-pitched squelching sound.

Fear finally took over, and the man bolted from his comfortable seat, sending the files flying everywhere. Natural reactions took over, and he screamed at the top of his lungs as the glass gave way. The leeches landed on the ground, seemingly unfazed by the shards of glass on the floor, and began to _leap_ at the other passengers who had just barely turned around to witness the glass breaking.

* * *

The chief of on-board services, who just happened to be going into the kitchen for a black coffee, heard the screams and sighed in outrage. Probably another couple of passengers who had gotten into the alcohol cabinet again. Signaling to the chef to watch the door, he grabbed the standard issue stun-gun on his belt, hit the switch, and opened the sliding door.

_Wham!_

Someone ran straight into the portly man and caused him to stumble and drop the weapon. Looking up in anger, he saw one of the female attendants screaming in pain and stumbling around the room. Disgust ceased him as he noticed a couple of slimy, fleshy things on her. Within the next second, he saw blood seep from where the damn things had attached themselves.

Before he could get up, another person, a passenger, stumbled through the door and managed to seal it behind him. The man looked at the chief in fear and suddenly tried to sprint past him, but was tackled by the chef. As the chief of on-board services stood up, the attendant fell, succumbing to the blood loss caused by those things.

Within an instant, the creatures leapt at the fallen form of the passenger the chef had tackled, and began to cause a blood flow as he screamed and rolled on the floor. Fear and disgust combined and urged the chief to get the hell out of there, but what happened next left him dumbfounded. A sudden groan came from the attendant as she began to stand up. She looked completely fine, save for the blood stains on her white uniform shirt.

Except something seemed completely off about her now, probably due to the fact that her skin had taken a rather pale, greenish hue, and was proceeding into the flesh tone of a rotten corpse. She spotted him, and proceeded to slowly shuffle over to him, blood dripping from her mouth as she began to grind her teeth together. He could do nothing as she lunged at him with her full weight and pinned him down.

He finally let out a scream as her teeth ripped into his neck, severed his jugular and caused his life to cease within seconds.

The train came to an abrupt halt as the conductor managed to hit the brakes before the slimy creatures got to him. The corpses were banging on the door as he began to reach for the emergency request button. Pain lanced throughout his body as the creatures sunk their teeth into him, breaking through the skin and finding the rich liquid. He grew cold and...hungry...they had gotten off of him...and he...couldn't think straight anymore...all he knew was that he had to press the button...which he did. After that, he passed on and left his body to be reanimated by the T-virus as a lone figure, garbed in a white tattered robe, watched the train come to a screeching halt from the top of the nearest mountain.

A smile played on his face as he brushed his long, straightened hair from his face.

The Ecliptic Express was now a train of the dead.

* * *

2 hours later

(Above Raccoon Forest)

RPD pilot Kevin Dooley guided the helicopter through the night as it soared above the forest trees and mountain tops. His co-pilot, Edward Dewey, kept his eyes on the terrain below, as if hoping to spot some of the mysterious group the media had dubbed, "The Cannibal Hunters".

Inside the chopper were members of RPDs Special Tactics and Rescue Service, or better known as S.T.A.R.S. The members of the squad were split up into two groups known as "Bravo Team", and "Alpha Team". For the current mission of tracking down the culprits behind the grisly murders of the past week, Bravo Team had been ordered to fly in by chopper and investigate the crime scene at night, this was done in order to find some evidence as to who these people were.

The team leader, Enrico Marini, sat with a stone-faced look. It was obvious that he felt sickened that a random group would just start attacking innocent, but it was more obvious that his team had been sent to track down the perpetrators. Though he had been an army commando for nine years and has had experience in leading teams through missions more dangerous than this, he could not shake the feeling that something felt completely _wrong_.

Beside him sat Forest Speyer, the team sniper and vehicle specialist. He was well known not for just being the team marksman, but for also being quite the expert with explosives. To back up the fact that he was well built, he always carried a custom grenade launcher as his secondary weapon.

Directly across from him sat Kenneth J. Sullivan, one of the most beloved members on the team. He always took pride in the work he did and was quite the joker, but he more known for being the point man, and in charge of reconnaissance. He also put his knowledge of chemistry to good use.

Next to him sat Richard Aiken, who joined the RPD at the age of nineteen. After being recognized for being able to handle virtually any situation despite the amount of pressure, he joined Bravo Team merely seven months later as a communications expert. He always welcomed new members to S.T.A.R.S with a smile and helped them when in need, as he had done with the individual beside him.

Rebecca Chambers was the youngest member of S.T.A.R.S having only just graduated college at the young age of eighteen. The fact that she was extremely talented in both chemistry and medicine earned her a spot on Bravo Team as medic and as rear security. Despite being the youngest and most inexperienced member on Bravo Team, she aimed to please, taking on any task without any hesitation.

They all sat in silence, possibly all contemplating what could happen within the minutes following their landing. That however, was cut short as the engine suddenly blew out and caused the chopper to rock back and forth violently.

Richard clung onto his seat for dear life, "Jesus, what the hell is going on?!"

Rebecca also gripped her own seat and closed her eyes, praying that they weren't all about to die. Kenneth and Forest held on loosely, both cursing under their breaths as Enrico turned around to face the pilots.

"What's going on?!", he barked, a tinge of fear clear in his gruff voice. Kevin and Edward worked furiously on the controls and attempted to bring the engine back. After several seconds, the helicopter began to tilt forward and gain momentum.

"Engine failure, captain. We're going to attempt an emergency landing. Everyone hang on tight!", Kevin yelled as he and Edward fought to keep the vehicle upright.

Enrico turned back to his team, "You heard him, hold on!"

Rebecca kept her eyes shut tight as she could feel the aircraft come out of a nose-dive, and sail over the trees. In a moment of self-betrayal she opened them and watched as they began to rush towards the ground, speed picking up at every second. Luckily, the pilots managed to keep the plane level as it collided with the earth and began to skid along the ground.

Everyone swayed back and forth as the chopper began to slow to a halt. One last lurch that caused Rebecca, Richard, and Kenneth to slam their backs into their seats and it was over.

Dooley took off his helmet and turned to look at Bravo team, "Everyone still in one piece?"

The all gave a thumbs up, the universal sign for "Okay". Swallowing hard, Captain Marini patted both pilots on the back before turning back to face his team.

"Okay, when we get out of this chopper I want a full weapons check and a quick survey of the area. Now move out!"

Edward climbed out of the chopper first, followed by Forest, Enrico and Kenneth. As Richard was about to climb out he gestured at Rebecca, "Ladies first."

She gave him a half smirk and slugged him in the shoulder, "And here I thought chivalry was dead. Come on Richard, the rest of the team is waiting."

Chuckling, Officer Aiken climbed out and joined the rest of the team in surveying the area. As she moved towards the entry Rebecca turned around to Dooley and gave him another thumbs up. "Good flying Kevin."

He saluted, "Watch yourself out there, kid."

She climbed out and closed the door behind her. Noticing that everyone had their weapon out already, Rebecca reached for her holster and checked her handgun, a custom Beretta made specifically for S.T.A.R.S members. She admired the custom gun since it was capable of firing two rounds at once, and had a laser sight attached. She recalled when Alpha team member handed it to her and told her to "take care of that Samurai Edge". Upon testing it in the firing range, she knew exactly why it had been dubbed as such by the members of both Bravo and Alpha team.

She ejected the clip, which carried a total of fifteen rounds, and slammed it back home. She reached into her side pack and made sure she still had the extra four clips she had brought along. Satisfied with herself and her weapon, she jogged over to Enrico who was about to give an order.

"Check our current position and investigate the surrounding area. Rebecca, you're with me, let's go."

The fog of the cool night did not help Rebeccas field of vision as she and Enrico moved through the tree-line. She could not see more than two feet in front of her which caused her to step on a few twigs here and there that caused her heart to stop for a very brief moment. This was one of her first missions, and though she had been trained to expect anything, she could not help but feel extremely nervous.

They passed by a group of trees and found themselves near a small dirt road. As she moved a tad bit closer, she could make out the shape of a vehicle. An overturned vehicle...

"Captain, look!", she called out to Enrico, flashing her light at the vehicle. The captain reached for his radio and called everyone over as he and Chambers approached the wreck. Illuminating the side of it, they realized it was a military standard vehicle.

Enrico turned on his own flashlight and aimed it down...to where the bodies of the driver and his passenger lay. Rebecca swallowed and let out a shaky exhale as Enrico moved over to inspect the bodies. She heard a couple of twigs breaking behind her, so she turned and saw the rest of the team on their way. As she turned back, she noticed something lying near the wreckage.

Richard jogged to her side as she moved over to what she found to be an open briefcase that contained a clipboard with several papers on it. "Court order for transportation, prisoner 'Billy Coen', ex-lieutenant, twenty-six years old, court marshaled and sentenced to death July, twenty-second.", she read aloud as the team gathered around her, "Prisoner is to be transferred to-".

She stopped as Edward pulled the clipboard from her hands. "Those poor soldiers", he said, "They were good men just doing their jobs, and that scum murdered them and escaped."

Enrico snatched the board from his hands and quickly looked it over. "Alright everyone, let's separate and search the area. Our friend is brutal and ruthless, make sure to keep your guard up." Everyone gave a quick nod and jogged off in different directions, Rebecca taking the math to her left.

She walked slowly and carefully, taking in slow, deliberate breaths. She made sure to check her flanks twice with every couple of steps she took; she did not want to have an assailant sneak up and attack her at any moment. She walked passed another pair of trees, and aimed her flashlight around the area. Just as she began to turn, the sound of several flapping wings startled her and she wheeled around to face what was behind her. What she saw took her by complete surprise.

A _train_, a train with many cars had apparently stopped its tracks in the middle of the forest. Feeling that something was completely off, she slowly moved closer to it, gun at the ready. The rain began to come down as she got close enough to notice that the lights were on, and that the name on the side read "Ecliptic Express".

"_I should turn back and get the others"_, she thought, getting closer and closer to the side door, _"They would want to see this."_

Curiosity made her do otherwise. She reached for the door handle, turned it slightly, and found it to turn all the way. Taking a gulp of the cold air, she opened the door slowly and climbed inside.

The passenger car was empty and dimly lit. Briefcases, papers, a few plates, and even articles of clothing littered the ground. Again, instinct screamed at her to turn back and get the others, but curiosity beckoned her ever so sweetly. She was, after all, a member of S.T.A.R.S, so that meant she should check the train for anyone that needed assistance. She looked around and found it to be quite the luxurious passenger car...maybe it was a train meant for the wealthy. Nevertheless, she kept her gun at the ready and moved down the aisle to the door that joined the two cars together.

Sliding the door open, she noted that this car was flooded with light as opposed to the previous one. Just like the last one however, this car was trashed with items everywhere, including broken glass. She cleared her throat as she holstered her gun and cleared her throat. "This is Officer Chambers from S.T.A.R.S Bravo team, please identify yourself."

When she received no responses she moved at a slow and steady pace, eyes glued to the broken window. As she neared the center of the aisle, she could hear a voice. "Is someone there?", she called out. She roughly identified where the voice was coming from and moved closer...to find someone sitting on one of the seats, strangely unmoving. "Sir?", she quickly stepped in front of him...and gasped.

The man had his neck torn open, dried blood smearing the seat and his shirt. His eyes had gone white with death, and his flesh bore multiple lacerations. She also noted that his skin had turned a sickly, pale gray.

She took a step back in surprise, and tried to calm her accelerated heart. She heard the voice again, and her eyes quickly drifted downwards and spotted a radio. Looking back up at the deceased male, Rebecca took a breath and quickly knelt down to retrieve it. Her eyes stayed on the victim the entire time as her fingers closed on the radio and she stood up. Turning her back on the body, she flicked the switch and turned the radio off.

"_What happened here?"_, she thought as she placed the radio in one of her uniform pants' pouches. Just as she finally made up her mind to turn around and get the rest of the team, she heard a groan that sent chills down her spine. Wheeling around, she saw the man _stand up_, and turn towards her, his dead eyes somehow being able to see her.

_Run!_

Fear took over, and Rebecca suddenly found herself running for the door she came from. Just as she closed in on it, a pale hand reached out to grab her feet. She moved away and fell back onto a seat as another deceased individual crawled from under the seats. This one had scratches and lacerations covering its face, chest, and neck. When it was fully erect it lunged at her, hoping to pin her down. At the last possible second, Rebecca ducked under its arm and reached for her gun.

She aimed it at the creep who had just tried to hold her down, "I am Officer Chambers from S.T.A.R.S Bravo team, identify yourself or I _will_ shoot!"

The threat of death seemed to not faze either one of the assailants one bit, as they kept lumbering over to her. _"These guys must be a part of that group, 'The Cannibal Hunters', but their throats are torn open...how are they alive!?"_

She aimed her gun at the nearest one, "This is your last warning! I _will_ shoot if you do not cease to advance!". Again, nothing came from them except a couple of bone-chilling groans. Taking a quick aim, she pointed and shot at its kneecaps. The bullet his its target and caused bone, and flesh to explode out from the other side, but it did not cause the attacker to go down. Instead, he got right back up on his wounded knee and began to drag it along as he continued to get closer.

Horrified, Rebecca backed up into the door. She frantically reached behind and searched for the handle, but she could not find it. They were getting closer and in her panicked state she could not escape. Taking aim once more she aimed at the closest one and fired; bullets tore through his chest and caused his body to reel slightly with every squeeze of the trigger. He still would not go down after third shot, so she kept firing. As the fifth round found its mark, the freak finally fell back, his death possibly brought on from blood loss.

She turned and aimed at the farthest one, the one with blood dripping from his mouth, and squeezed the trigger repeatedly. Again and again the hot bullets found their mark, taking flesh and bone with them as they exited on the other side. After almost unloading the remainder of the clip into him, he finally fell face-first to the ground.

Chambers fought to control her breathing, as she ejected the clip and reached for a new one. Her shaky hands made it difficult for her to reload the weapon, so she instead waited until she was in control of her body again before slamming the clip in. Looking around the car again, she could sense something horrible had happened on this train.

Looking back down at the two men who had chunks of flesh missing from their necks, she could only ask one thing.

"What just happened? Shouldn't they have been dead from the start?"


End file.
